Coyotes

We are in the process of building a house in a wooded area. Apparently there are many coyotes in the vicinity; the farmer at the place next door says he's given up on keeping cats because they're just "coyote food." We have two shelties. We will have some kind of fenced-in area, and we don't plan to let them just run, but when we are outside they like to be outside. They generally stick around, but if they see a deer they are gone. There's the background, now here are my questions:

1) Would a coyote go after something the size of a Sheltie? Both dogs are around 30 pounds.

2) Could a coyote get into a fenced-in area? What kind of fence would be best?

3) Is this something we would even have to worry about during daylight hours?

Re: Coyotes

Woddsinfall.
1). Your dogs are lunch to coyotes!

2). My neighbor had a coyote get into his chain link fence dog kennel (he still doesn't know how it got in). The dogs killed the coyote, but one got the mainge so bad it had to be put to sleep. The other one had vet bills into the high hundreds to save it.

3). Had another neighbor watch a coyote stalk her golden puppy at 12 noon. She ran out and got her puppy just in time.

The only good coyote is a dead one! We shoot them on sight around here.

Re: Coyotes

Yep, they'll go after just about any size dog. Don't forget they hunt in packs. I don't know about fencing, but I've seen them hunting during the winter in the daylight. We have a lot of coyotes here as well as cougars. Our cats are never allowed outside, and our labrador retriever is in at night. People around here take a dim view of dogs chasing deer, so we keep a pretty close rein our ours.
Bob

Re: Coyotes

Woods,

(1) Probably. One of our neighbors has a Shepherd, and she is constantly being "drawn off" by the coyotes. Seems like they draw them away from the home in order to gang up on them. She hasn't gone too far too fall into the trap (yet), but who knows? Another neighbor has an older golden retriever and a young australian sheep dog. They're not fenced (do have an invisible fence), so the coyotes "could" get in, but I haven't heard of it happening (yet).

(2) Possibly, but why would they unless there was something real enticing? A dog wouldn't be too enticing, but chickens might be.

(3) Again, possibly. We see coyotes at all times of the day and night.

All that said, we haven't had any real problem with them. We love to hear their singing (usually at night). We don't have any pets that go outside though. They leave us alone (and we them).

Re: Coyotes

<font color=blue>1) Would a coyote go after something the size of a Sheltie? Both dogs are around 30 pounds.</font color=blue>

Yep

<font color=blue>2) Could a coyote get into a fenced-in area? What kind of fence would be best?</font color=blue>

Yep, I don't know what might be best but, I use 4 Ft Hog wire with two strands of barbed wire on top (to catch limbs), total height ~5 ft They go around or under, maybe over? </font color=blue>

<font color=blue>3) Is this something we would even have to worry about during daylight hours?</font color=blue>

Yep, I see Coyotes anytime, hear them most ever night. There is a mother and two pups that are hanging around now. There is an abundance of rabbits this year and they look pretty well feed. Most years they look pretty scrubby.

Re: Coyotes

Thanks to everyone for the info. You've left me with another question. How do you break a dog of chasing deer? They're just in it for the exercise. The one time I saw them get even half-way close to a deer that didn't seem inclined to run, they pulled up and then backed off. We are hoping that they will give it up once the novelty wears off. It's a real pain; they come back exhausted and full of burrs.

Re: Coyotes

I scared a pack of coyotes off of a deer (buck) they had brought down. I was on my way to my hunting stand. Not a pretty site. They were in the process of eating the hind quarters - the deer was still breathing. Thank God I had my rifle, I promptly dispatched the deer.

Re: Coyotes

The only method for "trash-breaking" I know of is with an electric collar. This method is used by Delmar Smith (actor from Gun Smoke and now dog training guru). When the dog chases the animal he receives a shock. Soon the dog will think the animal is after him.

Re: Coyotes

Von,

I can see a small dog having a major problem.
However, I have a sixty pound lab (still growing since he is less than a year old).
I have a real hard time beliving that a coyote would mess with a dog this large..? How much does a coyote weight?

Re: Coyotes

Fred,
The eastern coyote will weigh in about 40+ lbs for a male. I have shot a few that weighed in over 55 lbs. And the largest shot around here was one at 81 lbs. While out west a male will be about 10 lbs. lighter than thier eastern cousin. Also the eastern will team hunt like wolfs, where as the western is more of a solitary hunter.